Online porn and bullying - children 'need more protection'

Found on BBC News on Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Browse Censorship

Internet firms are also warned they may face prosecution for failing to show commitment to safeguarding youngsters.

The MPs called for an increase in prosecutions of legal adult pornography sites that do not take adequate steps to prevent children accessing them.

Another try to have more control and censorship "to protect the children".

Java 8 Officially Released

Found on Slashdot on Tuesday, 18 March 2014
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Oracle today officially released Java 8, nearly two years after Java 7, and after much delay. The new release includes a number of critical new features, including Lambda expressions and the new Nashorn JavaScript engine. Java 8, however, is still missing at least one critical piece that Java developers have been asking for, for years.

People still use Java?

Now Veronica Mars Backers Want Refunds, and They’re Getting Them

Found on Wired on Monday, 17 March 2014
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In order to access the digital version of the movie promised as a reward, they learned, they’d have to sign up for an account at Flixster—and even then, they’d only be able to stream the movie, not download it.

In statement released to the L.A. Times about the refund, a Warner Bros. representative described the move as part of the studio’s diligent work “to ensure that all the Veronica Mars backers have a great experience.”

Like so many times before, this too proves that the entertainment industry has a very twisted way to define "great experience". This, of course, does not apply to everybody who knows that another source provides a truly great experience: the Pirate Bay already offers it. Without DRM and easy to download.

Alibaba confirms plans to offer IPO in US

Found on CNet News on Sunday, 16 March 2014
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Alibaba, which controls nearly 80 percent of China's Internet shopping market, is expected to raise more than $15 billion, giving it a $130 billion valuation. That lofty target would challenge Facebook's record Internet IPO, which raised $16 billion in 2012.

The faces of the executives at Amazon will turn all pale; and Ebay won't be thrilled either. Alibaba also helps alternative payment method since Ebay's Paypal doesn't do business with that company.

Data transmission system on MH370 deliberately disabled

Found on New Scientist on Saturday, 15 March 2014
Browse Various

It has taken time to identify the correct search areas, Razak says, because it is now clear to investigators that the radar transponders and the flight data transmission system in the missing Malaysian airliner were deliberately disabled by somebody on the aircraft trying to hide its position and heading.

In other words somebody who knew what they were doing - or who may have been forcing a pilot to do it - was trying to obscure the plane's position. But Rezak stops short of saying this means the plane was necessarily hijacked.

It's a little amazing when you think about it. On a plane, where everything is designed to be as reliable as possible and every important system has backup systems, the pilot can disable something as essential as the transmission of data. Even more amazing is that GPS bugs cost only a few dollars and a couple of them could be easily added so the plane will send its position data, no matter what the pilot does.

Netflix-like torrenting app Popcorn Time disappears

Found on Ars Technica on Friday, 14 March 2014
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The slickly designed torrenting app Popcorn Time had barely begun to live, but its creators have already pulled it down from their website, along with the supporting infrastructure.

Despite what the experiment of Popcorn Time "proves," the post concludes, "our experiment has put us at the doors of endless debates about piracy and copyright, legal threats and the shady machinery that makes us feel in danger for doing what we love. And that’s not a battle we want a place in."

Since it's a GitHub project, someone will just fork and continue.

WhatsApp chats not as secret as you think

Found on The Register on Thursday, 13 March 2014
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Bas Bosschert has described a process by which the chat database can be read even if it's encrypted.

For Bosschert's attack to work, all that's required is that the user grants sufficient permissions to the malicious app. As he writes: “ since [the] majority of the people allows everything on their Android device, this is not much of a problem.”

WhatsApp was never secure and I doubt that Facebook would be happy if all messages are so secure that it cannot look at them at some point.

Candy Crush games developer King aims to raise $533m

Found on BBC News on Wednesday, 12 March 2014
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King's portfolio includes more than 180 games, but Candy Crush is its most popular offering and was the most downloaded free mobile app of 2013.

According to the firm, its top three games - Candy Crush Saga, Pet Rescue Saga and Farm Heroes Saga - accounted for 95% of its total revenue in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Obviously the bubble isn't over; even today you can find enough retards who invest in a totally pointless IPO.

New Jersey Auto Dealers Don't Want to Face Tesla

Found on Slashdot on Tuesday, 11 March 2014
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It feels like this story is becoming repetitive: X state is trying to ban Tesla stores, or the ability for an automaker to sell directly to a consumer. Either way, it's all aimed at Tesla. Now it's New Jersey's turn as a hearing today could end up banning Tesla stores in the state.

Tesla's arguing the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is overstepping its bounds.

So the states are fighting against competitions to protect their local automobile industries. Seems the old industries pay their politicians well.

Bulletproof men's suit blends Bruce Wayne style, Batman-worthy tech

Found on CNet News on Monday, 10 March 2014
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A Zurich-based company known as Suitart has developed a men's suit that combines a whole lot of Wayne style with an ample dose of "kapow!" It's called "Diamond Armor," and for good reason: the suit fabric is embedded with 880 black diamonds; the lapels and stitching feature an additional 600 black diamonds with a total weight of 140 carats.

For starters, the suit is bulletproof. It uses technology invented by Croshield, a company that makes body armor and other bulletproof gear, to achieve what the manufacturers say is a level II protection classification.

So? Just aim for the head.